Shadow Correspondent
Jammu, Mar 10:
An urgent meeting of the executive committee of the Dogra Sadar Sabha (DSS) was held today, on the return of their President Th. Gulchain Singh Charak from his tour to outside J&K UT, to consider various aspects of the Union Territory Budget presented by the Hon’ble Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who also holds the Finance portfolio. There are some new forward looking initiatives in the budget like the Shakti Sadans, PoJK Bhawan, Grid connectivity to Shri Amarnath Shrine and increase in ‘ALL’ categories of pensions. DSS hopes it includes the Annuity to Gallantry Awardees and their War Widows. The old age homes, free bus ride to women in State owned buses etc have an impact that is more cosmetic in nature.
The recent essential and welcome strides in development by way of direct Railway and Roadway connectivity to Katra and to the Valley have caused serious adverse side effects on the trade and commerce of Jammu region. The hotel industry, transporters, the traders and small shopkeepers have been driven out of their traditional livelihoods and are on the verge of bankruptcy.
The current budgetary allocations in those directions are too meager to be compensatory.
The members felt dismayed over the overall impact of the budget with a balance glaringly tilted towards one region. The budget has provisioned to further reinforce well developed infrastructures of tourism spots like Gulmarg, Pehalgaum, Sonmarag, Doodhpthri and Kokarnag while areas of Kishtewar with enormous tourism potential have been almost ignored. Sanasar, Nathhatop, Padri, Sarthal that can also be developed as ski-resorts have been left aside. The allocations for old historical monuments and water bodies in the Jammu region deserved a much better deal. Likewise there is much greater scope of development of religious tourism to build package tours in Naushera, Rajouri, Poonch regions; Shiv Khouri, Budha Amarnath, Shahadra Sharief, Nangali Saheb, Peer Badesher etc or Purmandal, Utter Behni, Sudh Mahadev, Sukrala Mata & Machail Mata in Jammu region can attract pilgrim’s footfall if developed.
The DSS members painfully noticed that the political representatives of Jammu region have not raised these issues for this region that covers 63 percent of the UT land mass and 75 percent of unexplored virgin mountainous region that can be developed for tourism. The restoration of Mubarak Mandi complex is still in doldrums, with more and more buildings, structures collapsing in every monsoon, while many old forts and shrines are in shambles. Tawi Lake, Kandi region irrigation, Lift water canals, Vertical Parking slots in Jammu and other towns are all fairy tales and lollipops. Jammu division can be compensated only by developing these areas to make up for the Kashmir centric policies that were in practice thus far. Sadly the current budget shows no departure from it except odd cosmetic lip service here and there. The Ramban Area has suffered dangerous landslides and sinking of villages due to ill-planned road cuttings. The budget seems to have ignored that population as children of lesser Gods, destined to perish.
The prominent participants were Col. Karan Singh (Retd),Adv. H C Jalmaria, G A Khwaja, Gambhir Dev Singh, Col. Dr. Virendra K Sahi VrC (Retd), Maj Gen. Sunita Kapoor VSM (Retd), Prof. Anita Billawaria, Mrs Uma Katal, Dr. Nasib Singh Manhas, Arvinder Singh Amn, Amanat Ali Shah, Narinder Singh Jamwal and others.
